Peters



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet- 1.

J. W. STEVENS. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS 011 WATER TANKS.

No. 405,615. Patented Jun 18, 1889.

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(No Model.) '2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. W. STEVENS. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS 0R WAT-ER TANKS. No.405.615. Patented June 18,1889.

N. PETERS, Phvtml fibognpher, Washinglnu. I}. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOEL IV. STEVENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR'TO HIMSELF AND ROBERTBINES, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS OR WATER-TANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,615, dated June 18,1889.

Application filed January 2, 1889. Serial No. 295,244. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOEL W. STEVENS, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois,-and a citizen of the United States, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for FeedingBoilers or ater-Tanks, of which the followin g is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan elevation of pipes, showing the manner of applying my improvements.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the main valve. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection of a tank. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the boiler.

' The object of this invention is to provide an arrangement of pipes andconstruction of valve so that the steam-pressure and water will balanceeach other and operate automatically in operating the pump and inmaintaining the desired height or depth of water in boilers or tanks, orboth, as maybe desired. The apparatus shown is more particularlydesigned for filling a tank at the top of a build ing which is to beused in operating elevators; but I do not limit it to this use, as itwill be found desirable and advantageous for other purposes.

In the drawings, A indicates a tank. B is a boiler. C is a pump. D is anair-chamber. E is a watersupply pipe. F is a hollow metal float. Theseparts are constructed in any of the usual. and well-known forms, and arearranged in reference to each other as may be found most convenient inthe building within which they are to be located.

The boiler shown has applied to it what is known as an under feec butitwill be readily understood that by carrying the pipe around or back tothe end of the boiler a top feed may be applied, as may be desired.

The pipe to leads from the steam-dome of the boiler to the cap 0 of thevalve-section d, which section is branched, and leading therefrom is thesteam-pipe h, which conveys steam to the steanrchest of the pump. Thewaterpipe is It leads from the pump to the upper part of the tank A andin proximity to the pump. A branch j leads to the lower end of thevalve-section d, another branch I leads to the boiler B, and the pipes75 Z are provided with cut-off valves m m. The pipe is. terminateswithin the tank A with a valve 0, which is operated by the floatF andits lever-arm n, which arm is pivoted at p, and is bent upward so as tocome in contact with and operate the valve 0, so as to close the samewhen a sufficient height of water is reached in the tank, and to openthe valve when the water falls below its upper limit. There is nothingespecially new in providing a float operating to open or close a valveas the water descends below or reaches the desired limit of depth, andany well-known form of valve operated by a float may be used in place ofthe one 7 shown. A similar float is shown in the boiler B; but when thewater is admitted below, as shown, the arrangement of the float-valveapparatus differs somewhat, as in this case the lever-arm 11 passesbeyond the pivot p and is pivoted or hinged to a rod g, which descendsbetween the tubes to the space below, and is there connected with thelever '2", which passes through the guide-arm t and is pivoted to thearm 3, the valve-rod being pivoted to the lever 1'. between the two arms8 and t, as shown.

\Vhere a top feed is used, the float-valve apparatus will not differessentially from that shown for the tank in Fig. 3.

The valve-section (Z is provided at its upper-end with a cap 0,containing a valve-seat e and a valve f, constructed substantially asshown in Fig. 2. This cap may have theform or connection shown in eitherof the Figs. 1 and 2. The valve f is provided with a stem 1', whichconnects it with a plunger g, which plunger is provided with grooves h,by means of which the plunger is given awaterpacking.

In operation, steam passing through the pipe at passes through thesection or cap 0 by means of the valve-opening e, and from thiscontinues down or into the steam-chest of the pump, and so long as thesteam continues flowing the pump will continue its operation and elevatewater through the pipes 7t 7t to the tank A, the valve m being closed.This operation will continue until the floatF rises so as to close thevalve 0, which pro duces a back-pressure that is communicated throughthe pipe j into the section d, raising the plunger and valve f, so as toshut off the steam and stop the action of the pump, steampressureremaining in the pipe a, and exerting its pressure upon the valve f, sothat, assoon as sufficient water is taken from the tank A to lower thefloat and open the valve 0, the steam-pressure will force down the valveF and again communicate with the pump and put it into operation,whichoperation will continue until the float F is again raised to thelimit-line and the valve 0 again closed, and when the pump has continuedso as to exert a water-pressure on the pipe exceeding that of thesteampressure, the plunger g will again close the valve 6 f and shut offthe steam. By this arrangement the tank is kept full by the automaticaction of the pump and steam and water pressures, so that no excessivestrain is produced upon the water-pipes, and any overflow of the tank isprevented, as the inflow of water ceases when the float reaches itspredetermined limit. The same arrangement of pipes and valves also actsin feeding water to the boiler. When the .boiler is to be filled, thevalve on is opened, and the valve m maybe closed when water is flowingto the tank; but if the tank is full it is immaterial whether this valveis closed or not, as the water then flows through the pipe Z into theboiler, and when the waterlimit of the boiler is reached the floatoperates the valve to shut off the Water, as with the tank, and theexcess of water-pressure elevates the plunger g, closing the valve e f,-

as before, and stopping the pump. By this arrangement no overfilling ofthe boiler or overstrain upon the pipes can take place, for the reasonbefore stated, that when the waterpressure exceeds the steam pressuresteam to the pump is shut off and the action of the pump ceasesautomatically. This automatic arrangement for equalizing or balancingthe steam and water pressures will be found exceedingly useful inpreventing the overflow of tanks which are located at the top ofbusiness-buildings, and it also prevents any disaster or injury to therooms below the tanks or to the pipes by reason of any wantof attention,or oversight on the part of the operator.

As shown, the arrangement of steam and water pipes is connected bothwith the elevated water-tank and the steam generator or boiler; but itis not necessary to make both connections, as this automatic arrangementwill be found as valuable for either one as for both, and in many casesWhere feed-Water attachments are already applied to the boiler theboiler-connection may be omitted, and in cases where'it is desired onlyfor applying feed-water to the boiler the tank-pipe may be omitted.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a water-receiving vessel and a supply-pumpconnected there-' with, of a valve-section located in the steamsupplypipe of the pump, normally held open by the steam-pressure and adaptedto be automatically closed by the back-pressure from the water-supplypipe of the tank to cut off the steam-supply, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a steam-pump, a water-receiving vesselconnected therewith, and a pipe for supplying steam tothe pump, of avalve-section located in the steam-supply pipe of the pump andprovidedwith an open ing a, the plunger g, located beneath said opening andcarrying a valve f, and the backpressure pipe j, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a steam-pump, a boiler, a water-receiving vessel,a pipe for supplying steam to the pump, pipesfor conveying Water fromthe pump to the water-receiving vessel and boiler, a valve sectionlocated in the steam-supply pipe of the pump, a back-pressure pipeleading to said valvesectio n, and a valve normally held open, bysteam-pressure and automatically closed by the back-pressure of water,substantially as described.

J OEL WV. STEVENS.

